Sunday, January 3, 2016

DCD - CH (2) Team Hammar

Yesterday morning I received results for the Giving Thanks Event for the Dogs Can Dance Challenge for this past November.

I had entered three performances.

Classical Freestyle

First, to get started on our Team's DCD - CF (3) - Classical Freestyle Title (3), I submitted the first take of Dean's Smooth routine from our filming in June. I had submitted the second take back in July - it was the better one. But the first take really was good enough to submit, so I went ahead and put it in for Classical Freestyle Intermediate for our third time around!

Dean got a nice score for this - 139 points!!

We got some nice comments, too:

"You did a wonderful job giving Dean the confidence to shine, by choosing well the music and the moves.""Your teamwork is inspiring, and beautiful. Dean is always looking to you for feedback, and enjoying himself in your dance. Great job showcasing your handsome boy.""All the work between you shines through in this performance. Dean is a happy worker and you do a very nice job with him."

Entertainment

On a whim, at the last minute, I decided to enter a video that I had of Speedy dancing to one of his favorites, "I Love to Love". I had never submitted any video of him performing to this music to the Challenge, although I did use it for our Entry Level music.

I had an old video that I had taken that I had hoped to submit to WCFO to try for that last leg of our Intermediate Title, by video, but I was not able to get a good enough take with him for that.But the video had not been submitted, and it fit the criteria for the Dogs Can Dance Challenge Entertainment Division. I entered it in Opening Act, toward our DCD - Ent (3) - Entertainment Division Title (3).

We earned a whopping 147 points!! Of the three routines I submitted, Speedy's scored the highest!I am so pleased that he can still be a point-earning member of the Team! I still have some other video that I could eventually submit for him, if I am so inclined in the future.We got wonderful comments:"It was very nice seeing Speedy execute the circle moves that he loves and is very good at. Clever placement, and good musically."

"Speedy did love to dance, so this seems so completely appropriate for his theme.""The lifetime of work you put in with Speedy shines through in this routine."Musical InterpretationAnd finally . . . Tessa!I submitted her New York, New York routine - the one she and I created together this past summer, and the one we earned our WCFO Intermediate Title with back in November - into Musical Intepretation.This was for something very special. We just needed 25 more points in Musical Interpretation to earn our DCD - CH (2) - Dogs Can Dance Challenge Championship #2.Although I felt that this particular routine would actually have been suited more toward Entertainment Division, Tessa and I performed a take with undecorated jumps, featuring her movement more than the "show" to submit in this event for Musical Interpretation.We earned 117 points for the performance and . . . Team Hammar's DCD - CH (2) !!I was extra pleased by the comments that Tessa and I received!"Choreography was mostly in keeping with the music, with some brilliant movements. I loved the creativity of adding the jumps.""You put effort into making her feel good about her part.""Thank you for sharing the beautiful Tessa with us""Tessa sure is doing well. She is a talented girl and you certainly showed of her many abilities"Those, and many more, were such nice comments!I am very proud of my team.For our second time around:Tessa earned Classical Freestyle BeginnerDean earned Classical Freestyle Intermediate and Advanced

Speedy earned both levels in Entertainment

Speedy earned Musical Interpretation Frequent FlyerDean earned Musical Interpretation International Flyer (at the live event!)Tessa earned Musical Interpretation World TravelerSo . . . a very nice balance of contributions for the three of them!!

And Team Hammar dances on!! Tessa has already done her performance for the next event, and I have an idea for Dean . . .